Spring Lake Public Schools to Use Safety Grant for Bollards, Access Control

Spring Lake Public Schools plan to use funds from a Michigan State Police school safety grant on equipment including bollards, shatter-resistant film and access control.

By Jessica Davis

April 19, 2019

Spring Lake Public Schools plan to use funds from a recently received school safety grant to purchase equipment to boost security, including traffic bollards to provide a barrier between vehicles and open areas of campus, shatter-resistant film/glass for vestibules and entryways and access control systems for the entire district.

Spring Lake Public Schools is one of 366 applicants and 230 recipients of a competitive school safety grant from the Grants and Community Services Division of the Michigan State Police. SLPS received $220,286 in funds.

Liz Boeve, the district’s operations director, said the district is “thrilled” to have received the grant funding. “This just continues to help us ensure that our students and staff are safe,” she said.

Before applying for the grant, district officials worked with the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office to review SLPS’ crisis response plan and look over improvements. It was during this meeting that the district learned about the MSP grant opportunity, according to Boeve.

In 2018, the Sheriff’s Office conducted a Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design survey of the district’s campuses and facilities. Many of the planned security improvements came from that report.

The district will next put the planned safety upgrades out to bid. SLPS has until June 2020 to make the safety improvements and receive compensation for the costs.

The grant will be used for necessary infrastructure upgrades identified by the sheriff’s office, after which the district will work with law enforcement on planning and training.

The district plans to apply for another state police safety grant next fall, for additional funding.